The present invention generally relates to vehicle controls, and more particularly to providing predictive performance of an electric based taxi system.
An aircraft equipped with an electric taxi (eTaxi) system provides ground movement using an auxiliary power unit generator (APUG) powering electric drive motor(s) rather than using thrust from the main engines. An eTaxi system may provide aircraft movement around an airport with the potential to provide substantial fuel savings to airline operators.
Conventional taxiing with an aircraft's main engines, may provide excess power at idle, allowing the pilot to achieve any desired taxi speed, regardless of aircraft weight or airport surface condition at the cost of burning fuel. Electric based taxi systems, however, may provide variable performance based on the mechanical design of the eTaxi system, the power available from the APUG, the taxiway slope, the aircraft weight, the tire construction and tire pressure, and other factors. This may present pilots with a totally different operational capability which may seem unfamiliar especially to those new to eTaxi. As conditions change, the eTaxi system may not have the same capability to move the aircraft. Moreover, the pilot may overestimate the aircraft's capability in certain conditions to traverse a distance within a sufficient time creating potential delays in the airport taxiing environment.
As can be seen, there is a need to provide information to pilots that may aid situational awareness with electric based taxiing.